How to Make Sugar Paste Bows
Bakers use sugar paste, also known as gum paste, to create edible decorations for cakes and desserts. It is pliable like clay, making it easy to fold into different shapes. Bakers tint it, paint on it and dust it with decorative powder. They mold it into large objects or glue smaller pieces together to create intricate designs. Craft stores sell a variety of cutters for convenience when forming designs. A bow cutter or a simple rectangular cutter creates realistic sugar paste bows. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rolling pin (regular or textured)
- Pearl dusting powder
- Rectangular cutter
- Knife
- Ruler
- Plastic wrap
Instructions
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Roll out a quarter-size piece of sugar paste to 1/8-inch thickness or less. The paste is easier to mold if it's thin, and thinner bows also look more like fabric. Dust it with pearl powder.
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2
Cut out four equal rectangles with a rectangular cutter. Trim the sides of each piece with a knife and ruler. You can use a decorative trimmer or an embosser to cut the edges. Dust the edges with pearl powder.
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3
Turn one rectangle over, fold it to make a loop and pinch the corners together. Repeat with another rectangle. Scrunch up two small pieces of plastic wrap, and stuff one into each bow loop to keep them from drooping.
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4
Cut one end of each remaining rectangle at a 45-degree angle. Pinch the corners on the opposite side together. Repeat with the last rectangle. These will make the two tails of the bow. If you want the bow to have longer tails, make the rectangles longer.
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5
Roll out a small piece of sugar paste, and cut a smaller rectangle, about half the length of the other ones, to make a center knot. Dust it with pearl powder, and pinch the corners on the two shorter sides together. Create pleats in the middle to resemble a fabric bow.
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6
Attach the pinched ends of one loop and a tail piece. Make the sugar paste stickier with a little bit of water sprinkled on the area to be attached. Stick the pinched end of the second loop to the first loop's pinched end. Then attach the pinched end of the second tail to the pinched end of the second loop to finish the bow. Position the center knot to cover the middle of the bow where the four pieces meet. Tuck the ends of the knot behind the bow.
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7
Adjust the loops and the tails to make them look realistic. Leave the bow to dry overnight. Don't take the plastic wrap out of the loops until they are completely dry to prevent drooping.
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References
- Photo Credit pie with chocolate bow. image by Indigo Fish from Fotolia.com
